Upward tick seen in sawlog prices in later 2017 expected to continue in 2018 due to strong demand

09-01-2018

Almost all over the world, sawlog prices went up in the third quarter of 2017, showing the highest increase in Europe and Oceania at 7.9 per cent and 6.1 per cent respectively, and more modest rises in North America and Latin America at 2.8 per cent and 2.2 per cent.

According to Wood Resources International, because of the strengthening of sawlog prices all over the world, the Global Sawlog Price Index (GSPI) went up over 2017 to hit US$75.69/m³ in the third quarter, leaving the GSPI at a three-year high. And with the outlook for demand of lumber remaining strong with an increased consumption of sawlogs, it is probable that the GSPI would continue its upward tick in the coming year.

The European Sawlog Price Index (ESPI-€), based on the Euro, also experienced an upswing in 2017, though it was at slower pace as compared to the GSPI. The largest price increases seen there in the past year were in Eastern and Central Europe, especially in Austria, Germany, and Poland, while price increases in the Nordic nations remained modest.